Question 1

The fact that children as young as 4 simplify their speech when addressing toddlers and infants suggests that even 4-year-olds display

Accepted Answer

A)  a form of infant-directed speech. 
B)  some sensitivity to the needs of their listeners. 
C)  social referential communication. 
D)  All of the alternatives are correct 
A)  a form of infant-directed speech. 
B)  some sensitivity to the needs of their listeners. 
C)  social referential communication. 
D)  All of the alternatives are correct

Question 2

Studies of bilingual children suggest that

Accepted Answer

A)  bilingualism leads to delayed language development and related cognitive deficits. 
B)  children who learn two languages simultaneously cannot perceptually separate the two languages. 
C)  efforts to teach non-native English speakers in both English and their native language are seriously misguided. 
D)  young children can apparently separate and acquire two languages without significant problems. 
A)  bilingualism leads to delayed language development and related cognitive deficits. 
B)  children who learn two languages simultaneously cannot perceptually separate the two languages. 
C)  efforts to teach non-native English speakers in both English and their native language are seriously misguided. 
D)  young children can apparently separate and acquire two languages without significant problems.

Question 3

What is the impact of experience on categorical perception?

Accepted Answer

A)  Categorical perception is not present in young infants and appears to be entirely dependent upon experience. 
B)  Infants possess an innate ability to discriminate a wide range of sound contrasts, but the environment quickly begins to fine-tune the discriminations, eliminating those that will not be needed and improving the child's ability to use others. 
C)  Categorical perception is present in newborns, and while infants never lose the ability to discriminate phonemic boundaries, they become more skilled at detecting subtle differences between categories based on their experience of hearing a language being spoken. 
D)  Categorical perception is present in newborns and is not modifiable by experience. 
A)  Categorical perception is not present in young infants and appears to be entirely dependent upon experience. 
B)  Infants possess an innate ability to discriminate a wide range of sound contrasts, but the environment quickly begins to fine-tune the discriminations, eliminating those that will not be needed and improving the child's ability to use others. 
C)  Categorical perception is present in newborns, and while infants never lose the ability to discriminate phonemic boundaries, they become more skilled at detecting subtle differences between categories based on their experience of hearing a language being spoken. 
D)  Categorical perception is present in newborns and is not modifiable by experience.

Question 4

Describe the two theories aimed at explaining how bilingual children learn two different languages. Which theory does the evidence to date support?

Accepted Answer

The two theories aimed at explaining how

Question 5

The fact that infants narrow their phoneme categories around the same time as they begin learning words means that they will

Accepted Answer

A)  immediately apply their phoneme perception skills to early word learning. 
B)  not confuse similar sounding words. 
C)  the two skills are caused by one underlying mechanism. 
D)  None of the alternatives are correct. 
A)  immediately apply their phoneme perception skills to early word learning. 
B)  not confuse similar sounding words. 
C)  the two skills are caused by one underlying mechanism. 
D)  None of the alternatives are correct.

Question 6

The phrase language acquisition support system (LASS) refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)  hypothesized brain mechanism responsible for analyzing speech input. 
B)  variety of neurological, auditory, and vocalization structures responsible for the production and comprehension of language. 
C)  way in which nonverbal modes of communication assist in the production and comprehension of language. 
D)  structured opportunities for language learning offered to infants in their social environments. 
A)  hypothesized brain mechanism responsible for analyzing speech input. 
B)  variety of neurological, auditory, and vocalization structures responsible for the production and comprehension of language. 
C)  way in which nonverbal modes of communication assist in the production and comprehension of language. 
D)  structured opportunities for language learning offered to infants in their social environments.

Question 7

How are the speech adjustments characteristic of infant-directed speech related to children's grammatical development?

Accepted Answer

A)  The more skilled a mother is at using infant-directed speech, the more advanced are her infant's grammatical skills. 
B)  The more infant-directed speech a mother addresses to her child, the less advanced her child's grammatical skills are likely to be. 
C)  Infant-directed speech is likely to harm a child's grammatical development unless the child receives other kinds of language input to compensate. 
D)  Researchers have yet to establish a strong link between infant-directed speech and children's grammatical development. 
A)  The more skilled a mother is at using infant-directed speech, the more advanced are her infant's grammatical skills. 
B)  The more infant-directed speech a mother addresses to her child, the less advanced her child's grammatical skills are likely to be. 
C)  Infant-directed speech is likely to harm a child's grammatical development unless the child receives other kinds of language input to compensate. 
D)  Researchers have yet to establish a strong link between infant-directed speech and children's grammatical development.

Question 8

A researcher interested in the process by which children acquire words to refer to states of happiness, sadness, illness, and health would be said to be studying

Accepted Answer

A)  semantic development. 
B)  pragmatics. 
C)  phonemics. 
D)  the naming explosion. 
A)  semantic development. 
B)  pragmatics. 
C)  phonemics. 
D)  the naming explosion.

Question 9

Carrie's mother speaks both English and French. When she was pregnant with Carrie, she used both languages on a daily basis. Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Carrie will develop a preference for listening to English 
B)  Carrie will develop a preference for listening to French 
C)  Carrie will develop a preference for both English and French 
D)  Carrie will develop a preference for novel languages, such as Russian 
A)  Carrie will develop a preference for listening to English 
B)  Carrie will develop a preference for listening to French 
C)  Carrie will develop a preference for both English and French 
D)  Carrie will develop a preference for novel languages, such as Russian

Question 10

Williams syndrome has provided support for Chomsky's nativistic theory, because

Accepted Answer

A)  those with this diagnosis learn language via operant conditioning. 
B)  it is not a genetic disorder. 
C)  those with the disorder have intact language abilities despite intellectual deficits. 
D)  those with the disorder have IQs below those of individuals with Down syndrome. 
A)  those with this diagnosis learn language via operant conditioning. 
B)  it is not a genetic disorder. 
C)  those with the disorder have intact language abilities despite intellectual deficits. 
D)  those with the disorder have IQs below those of individuals with Down syndrome.

Question 11

Research on children's early lexical development suggests that

Accepted Answer

A)  children produce many more words than they understand. 
B)  children typically comprehend words before they produce them. 
C)  verbs are spoken and understood earlier than nouns. 
D)  the naming explosion occurs at 12 months of age. 
A)  children produce many more words than they understand. 
B)  children typically comprehend words before they produce them. 
C)  verbs are spoken and understood earlier than nouns. 
D)  the naming explosion occurs at 12 months of age.

Question 12

Which illustrates Bruner's concept of a format?

Accepted Answer

A)  A mother humming a lullaby to her infant 
B)  A mother and baby singing and acting out the words to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" 
C)  Parents engaged in conversation over dinner with the baby seated nearby in a highchair 
D)  A mother using infant-directed speech 
A)  A mother humming a lullaby to her infant 
B)  A mother and baby singing and acting out the words to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" 
C)  Parents engaged in conversation over dinner with the baby seated nearby in a highchair 
D)  A mother using infant-directed speech

Question 13

The model of language development that emphasizes the role of social interaction in language learning is the

Accepted Answer

A)  psycholinguistic.model. 
B)  cognitive-developmental model. 
C)  learnability theory. 
D)  sociocultural theory. 
A)  psycholinguistic.model. 
B)  cognitive-developmental model. 
C)  learnability theory. 
D)  sociocultural theory.

Question 14

Compare and contrast the nativist theory of language development with the environmental/learning approach of language development.

Accepted Answer

The nativist theory of language developm

Question 15

Children who have a referential style of vocabulary development are most likely to be

Accepted Answer

A)  first borns. 
B)  males. 
C)  from working-class families. 
D)  children who play with toy vehicles. 
A)  first borns. 
B)  males. 
C)  from working-class families. 
D)  children who play with toy vehicles.

Question 16

Japanese adults have difficulty distinguishing between the sounds r and l. How skilled are Japanese infants at discriminating between the two sounds?

Accepted Answer

A)  Japanese 6-month-olds exposed to only the Japanese language have as much difficulty discriminating between the sounds r and l as Japanese adults. 
B)  Japanese 6-month-olds have as much difficulty discriminating between the sounds r and l as Japanese adults, regardless of whether they have been exposed to languages that include the r/l contrast or not. 
C)  Japanese infants are able to discriminate between the sounds r and l as easily as American infants exposed to languages where the r/l contrast is present. 
D)  Neither Japanese infants nor American infants are skilled at discriminating between the sounds r and l. 
A)  Japanese 6-month-olds exposed to only the Japanese language have as much difficulty discriminating between the sounds r and l as Japanese adults. 
B)  Japanese 6-month-olds have as much difficulty discriminating between the sounds r and l as Japanese adults, regardless of whether they have been exposed to languages that include the r/l contrast or not. 
C)  Japanese infants are able to discriminate between the sounds r and l as easily as American infants exposed to languages where the r/l contrast is present. 
D)  Neither Japanese infants nor American infants are skilled at discriminating between the sounds r and l.

Question 17

Imagine that you had the opportunity to create the "perfect" environment for learning language. What would this environment look like?

Accepted Answer

The perfect environment for learning a l

Question 18

Babies first begin to use gestures to communicate to others the desire to play a game or fetch an object at around

Accepted Answer

A)  4 months of age. 
B)  6 months of age. 
C)  8 months of age. 
D)  12 months of age. 
A)  4 months of age. 
B)  6 months of age. 
C)  8 months of age. 
D)  12 months of age.

Question 19

What is the babbling drift hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  The more one moves up the evolutionary ladder, the more closely the sounds of animal communication resemble those of human spoken language. 
B)  The sounds produced by babbling infants around the world appear to be drifting toward one universal "language" of babbling. 
C)  The form of an infant's babbling changes steadily over time and eventually resembles the language the infant hears and soon will speak. 
D)  While the sounds produced in early babbling are primarily vowel sounds, the sounds of later babbling include both consonants and vowels. 
A)  The more one moves up the evolutionary ladder, the more closely the sounds of animal communication resemble those of human spoken language. 
B)  The sounds produced by babbling infants around the world appear to be drifting toward one universal "language" of babbling. 
C)  The form of an infant's babbling changes steadily over time and eventually resembles the language the infant hears and soon will speak. 
D)  While the sounds produced in early babbling are primarily vowel sounds, the sounds of later babbling include both consonants and vowels.

Question 20

In a paper that Noah Chomsky published with Marc Hauser and Tecumseh Fitch in 2002, they proposed that

Accepted Answer

A)  the processes that support language are unique to the human species 
B)  most language abilities involve cognitive and perceptual mechanisms shared with other species. 
C)  most language abilities involve cognitive and perceptual mechanisms shared with other psychological abilities. 
D)  both b and c 
A)  the processes that support language are unique to the human species 
B)  most language abilities involve cognitive and perceptual mechanisms shared with other species. 
C)  most language abilities involve cognitive and perceptual mechanisms shared with other psychological abilities. 
D)  both b and c

The fact that children as young as 4 simplify their speech when addressing toddlers and infants suggests that even 4-year-olds display

Studies of bilingual children suggest that

What is the impact of experience on categorical perception?

Describe the two theories aimed at explaining how bilingual children learn two different languages. Which theory does the evidence to date support?

The fact that infants narrow their phoneme categories around the same time as they begin learning words means that they will

The phrase language acquisition support system (LASS) refers to the

How are the speech adjustments characteristic of infant-directed speech related to children's grammatical development?

A researcher interested in the process by which children acquire words to refer to states of happiness, sadness, illness, and health would be said to be studying

Carrie's mother speaks both English and French. When she was pregnant with Carrie, she used both languages on a daily basis. Which statement is true?

Williams syndrome has provided support for Chomsky's nativistic theory, because

Research on children's early lexical development suggests that

Which illustrates Bruner's concept of a format?

The model of language development that emphasizes the role of social interaction in language learning is the

Compare and contrast the nativist theory of language development with the environmental/learning approach of language development.

Children who have a referential style of vocabulary development are most likely to be

Japanese adults have difficulty distinguishing between the sounds r and l. How skilled are Japanese infants at discriminating between the two sounds?

Imagine that you had the opportunity to create the "perfect" environment for learning language. What would this environment look like?

Babies first begin to use gestures to communicate to others the desire to play a game or fetch an object at around

What is the babbling drift hypothesis?

In a paper that Noah Chomsky published with Marc Hauser and Tecumseh Fitch in 2002, they proposed that

Background and Theories

Research Methods

Genetics: The Biological Context of Development

Prenatal Development

Physical Development: Birth, Motor Skills, and Growth

Neural and Brain Development

Sensory and Perceptual Development

Cognitive Development: Piagetian and Vygotskian Approaches

Cognitive Development: The Information-Processing Approach

Intelligence and Schooling

Early Social and Emotional Development

Development of the Self

Moral Development

Families and Peers

Gender-Role Development and Sex Differences

Filters

Exam 11: Language Development

The fact that children as young as 4 simplify their speech when addressing toddlers and infants suggests that even 4-year-olds display

Studies of bilingual children suggest that

What is the impact of experience on categorical perception?

Describe the two theories aimed at explaining how bilingual children learn two different languages. Which theory does the evidence to date support?

The fact that infants narrow their phoneme categories around the same time as they begin learning words means that they will

The phrase language acquisition support system (LASS) refers to the

How are the speech adjustments characteristic of infant-directed speech related to children's grammatical development?

A researcher interested in the process by which children acquire words to refer to states of happiness, sadness, illness, and health would be said to be studying

Carrie's mother speaks both English and French. When she was pregnant with Carrie, she used both languages on a daily basis. Which statement is true?

Williams syndrome has provided support for Chomsky's nativistic theory, because

Research on children's early lexical development suggests that

Which illustrates Bruner's concept of a format?

The model of language development that emphasizes the role of social interaction in language learning is the

Compare and contrast the nativist theory of language development with the environmental/learning approach of language development.

Children who have a referential style of vocabulary development are most likely to be

Japanese adults have difficulty distinguishing between the sounds r and l. How skilled are Japanese infants at discriminating between the two sounds?

Imagine that you had the opportunity to create the "perfect" environment for learning language. What would this environment look like?

Babies first begin to use gestures to communicate to others the desire to play a game or fetch an object at around

What is the babbling drift hypothesis?

In a paper that Noah Chomsky published with Marc Hauser and Tecumseh Fitch in 2002, they proposed that

Background and Theories

Research Methods

Genetics: The Biological Context of Development

Prenatal Development

Physical Development: Birth, Motor Skills, and Growth

Neural and Brain Development

Sensory and Perceptual Development

Cognitive Development: Piagetian and Vygotskian Approaches

Cognitive Development: The Information-Processing Approach

Intelligence and Schooling

Early Social and Emotional Development

Development of the Self

Moral Development

Families and Peers

Gender-Role Development and Sex Differences

Filters